The Art of Advocacy: 7 Strategies for Winning the Inside Game
“Rallies, protests, maybe even some civil disobedience, those are things I could put on TV,” said a reporter.
These kinds of external advocacy efforts constitute the “outside game,” and the tactics used usually draw much more attention than meetings or briefings with policymakers. But changing public policy is an art requiring a complicated combination of pressure and established relationships to be successful. Most importantly, the true battleground lies behind the scenes where direct engagement with policymakers takes place. This work is called the “inside game.” It is the linchpin of successful advocacy, and your efforts are dependent on you winning it.
The Power of Connections
Organizations that have the capacity to hire lobbyists know what one legislative staffer once noted: "The most important thing an advocacy organization can do is develop a trusting relationship with a member of Congress, Senator, and their staff."
Organizations hire consultants often because they already have these relationships, and they have the expertise to utilize them effectively. Whether you have a consultant or not, organizations can and should learn to work the inside game. Utilizing these 7 strategies will help you do that.
Inside Game Strategies
Identify Key Policymakers. Create a “map” of the people who have the power to make policy (directly or indirectly). Your advocacy will depend on your relationships with them. These policymakers include committee chairs and ranking members, agency heads, and frontline policy staff.
Engage across ideological and party lines. Most of us gravitate to our natural allies when we need help – people who know us and/or are aligned with us ideologically, politically, socially, etc. Advocacy efforts are most effective, however, when you engage decision-makers across ideological or party lines. You may need their votes or influence. You may also need to serve as a point of connection for key policymakers who are too busy or otherwise unable to recruit their peers. Engaging across lines requires finding overlapping areas of interest and avoiding the extremes in your language and your policy goals.
Utilize influential allies. Figure out who is close to the policymakers and/or has the power to influence them. Paying lobbyists who have close relationships with policymakers can help. If that isn’t possible, look to your board of directors, lead funders, and community leaders as potential connections to key decision-makers.
Develop trusting relationships. Cultivate trusting relationships with policymakers. This involves regular, direct interactions with them. It also requires a commitment to truthfulness. They need to know that you will be straight with them, even when it is against your interest.
Be informative and responsive. Working the inside game is dependent on you or one of your allies being a subject matter expert, a resource for reliable information, and a connector to other decision-makers and constituents. To play those roles, you will need to be prepared to offer detailed, easy-to-use information at a moment’s notice. You will also need to have established connections with other key experts and policymakers. Working within a coalition or association can help you fulfill those roles, and a consultant can provide critical support, as well.
Work the outside game, too. The inside game works much better if there is external pressure on policymakers to act. That is especially true with issues deemed “controversial.” Even if policymakers support your goals, they have significant demands on their time. Get your supporters, members, and/or customers to send letters and/or make calls to policymakers. Meetings are also very helpful. Add public rallies and media outreach if your issue is controversial or difficult to address.
Be adaptive. Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint. Even for non-controversial issues, it can take two to six to ten years to succeed. Persistence, therefore, is key. Ensure that you follow up after every interaction. Continuously reinforce your message and address any concerns that arise. Also, be prepared to adjust your tactics, strategy, and even your goals.
The Bottom Line
Successful advocacy requires a blend of both the inside and the outside games. By prioritizing direct interactions with policymakers, leveraging influential connections, providing reliable information, applying outside pressure, and following up diligently, organizations can change public policy. In fact, it is the only way to do so.
For more details about these and other strategies, read Winning the Inside Game: the Handbook of Advocacy Strategies by our CEO, Ilir Zherka. To explore strategies that may help you advance your goals, feel free to reach out to us at connecting@civicaconsultants.com.